For Better and Not For Worse (aka The Wedding We Should Have Seen)
by Avery Kensington
Summary: A four-part AU for 6.23/For Better or Worse. Inspired by a tweet I read after 7.20/Sleeper aired. Prompt revealed at the end of the story. #CastleFanficMonday (Note: My FF name used to be onewritergirl)
1. Chapter 1

**Thank you to Jo, my fabulous beta. Your help and suggestions are greatly appreciated!**

 **For Ali**

* * *

 **For Better or for Worse**

 **Part One**

* * *

Richard Castle tosses and turns. Images flash through his mind as he sleeps: fire, water, lightning, a boat... He wakes with a start...sweaty, exhausted, and breathing very heavily. He takes a moment to compose himself, get his bearings. He feels completely drained. This could quite possibly be the worst night's sleep he's ever had. When he finally recovers enough to get out of bed, he shuffles out of the bedroom looking for Kate, but halfway to the kitchen he's stopped by his mother.

"Good gracious, Richard, you look absolutely dreadful," Martha says, and he winces. It's too early in the morning for this much brutal honesty.

"Good morning to you too, Mother."

"No, no, I'm speaking as a concerned mother. I told you it was a bad idea to have your bachelor party two days before the wedding."

"It wasn't a _bachelor party_ , Mother. It was just a chance for me to get together with some friends to celebrate before the wedding. It was something Ryan and Esposito wanted to do since I hadn't chosen either one of them as my best man."

"Sounds like a bachelor party to me, dear." Martha smiles at him. "Are you sure you're not coming down with anything?"

"Not at all," Castle replies, not meeting his mother's eyes as he lies. "Never better."

"Well, good, then my work here is done. I am off to get my hair done for the wedding. Ta-ta." Martha waves goodbye with a flourish.

"Bye," Kate calls to her from where she sits at the bar in the kitchen.

"Bye," Rick repeats as he walks over to his fiancé. He lifts the cup of coffee that Kate has left for him on the counter and takes a sip. "Ah, thank you."

"You're welcome. Sorry I didn't wait up for you. I was exhausted last night. How was the party?"

"It was fun," he answers. "I think everyone had a great time. The guys from the precinct had a contest to see who could collect the most phone numbers from the girls at the bar. If you're wondering, L.T. won."

Kate smiles.

"And not surprisingly," he continues, "Ryan and Esposito monopolized the karaoke machine. They've written a song for the wedding reception and they gave me a sneak preview."

Kate laughs. "That sounds great. I can't wait to hear it." She stares at him for a moment. "Your mother is right, you do look terrible. Did you get _any_ sleep?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"You were restless last night. What's going on?"

"Nothing." He knows that she _knows_ it's not _nothing_.

"Babe, you were whimpering in your sleep. What is it?"

Castle finally tells her. "I had a terrible dream." He pauses for a moment. "A nightmare, actually."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"No, it's stupid." He really doesn't want to talk about it.

"But you're obviously shaken by it. Please tell me."

"Fine," he agrees. "But have you ever woken up from a really awesome dream and then tried to tell someone about it and it doesn't sound quite as cool when you're retelling it?"

"Yes."

"Well, keep that in mind as I describe it to you." She nods in agreement as he begins to reveal his dream to her.

"I dreamt that the Universe was conspiring to keep us from getting married."

"The Universe?" Kate raises her eyebrows, but doesn't say anything else.

"Yes," he replies. This already sounds bad, but he continues anyway. "We went to get our marriage license and they wouldn't issue us one because you were already married to somebody else."

" _I_ was already married?" She laughs. "To whom? Let me guess…Josh? No…Demming?"

"No. No! _God, no_. That really _would_ be a nightmare. It was someone named Rogan O'Leary. He was an old college buddy of yours and the two of you had run off and gotten married _years_ ago in Las Vegas and had never gotten it annulled."

" _Rogan O'Leary_? Castle, how much did you have to drink last night?"

"None. I promise. Two Cokes, that's it. I didn't want your dad to be the only one not drinking alcohol."

She smiles at him. "Thank you."

"So you and I went on a wild goose chase Upstate to track down this O'Leary fellow and get him to sign divorce papers so we could get married," he continues. "In the meantime, the venue where we were going to have our wedding ceremony went up in flames and then there was a flood in your apartment and your wedding dress was ruined."

"Wow!" Kate replies. "What are the odds of all that bad luck?"

"Right?" Castle agrees. "But it gets better…or worse," he adds. "Then there was a car accident. My car was run off the road by a black SUV. And then I was abducted."

"By aliens?" she offers. He narrows his eyes at her; by now she is teasing him.

"No." He pauses, not sure if he should continue this ridiculous tale. And it _is_ ridiculous. But he barrels on anyway. "By Chuck Norris."

"You were abducted by Chuck Norris?"

"Yes," he answers. "On our wedding day. And then Chuck Norris took me to Asia where I helped the CIA save the world from Al-Qaeda."

"You saved the world from Al-Qaeda?" Her tone is skeptical and he can tell she's trying to stifle a laugh. "On our wedding day?"

"Yes. I told you it was stupid, Kate. But it all felt so real."

"It's not stupid, babe. It's actually kind of funny." Kate gets up and walks around the counter to where he is standing. She caresses the side of his face. "I think it's sweet that you're worried about something preventing our wedding. It makes me realize even more how much this means to you. But _nothing_ will go wrong. We got our marriage license two weeks ago. My mother's wedding dress is cleaned, altered, and safely tucked away at my father's house. And as for our venue, I'm pretty sure the back lawn of your Hampton's house is safe from fire. But just to be on the safe side, you might want to have your gardeners give it an extra watering."

"Very funny," he says.

"Castle, you have a _wild_ imagination. That's one of the _many_ things I love about you, your crazy theories. But it would be completely _preposterous_ for all of those things to happen to keep us from getting married. I know the Universe may have conspired against us in the past, but I feel like it's time for the Universe to be on our side."

Then she chuckles.

"What?" he asks.

"I think you may have just dreamt the plot of your next Derrick Storm novel."

Castle smiles. She's right. "Yeah, maybe."

"But leave out the part about the O'Leary wedding. None of your readers would ever believe that a secret Las Vegas wedding would stay hidden from government officials, especially considering all the background checks I've had in my career."

"Good idea."

"And besides," Kate reaches up and laces her arms around his neck. "I would never marry anyone else, because I've been waiting my _whole life_ for _you_ , my _one and done_." She leans up and kisses him on the lips. "Now go get showered. We still have a lot to do. Only T-minus 32 hours until we get married."

Castle smiles. "And T-minus 56 hours until our three-week honeymoon in the Maldives." He tugs her by the hand. "Join me?"

Kate smiles at him and willingly lets him lead her through their bedroom and into the bathroom.

* * *

Kate, Lanie, Martha, and Alexis had arrived in the Hamptons the night before the wedding. Not only had Kate wanted to spend some girl time with her Maid of Honor, but she had also known that this was the perfect opportunity to have some bonding time with Alexis before she officially became her stepmother. And having her future mother-in-law there while they watched movies and ordered in dinner? That had been just for fun, and just another sign to Kate of how blessed she was in becoming part of this wonderful family.

Castle had stayed in the city. He hadn't really wanted to, and Kate hadn't wanted to spend the night away from her fiancé either, but she had explained to him that this time spent with Alexis was very important. She'd also played on his superstitions about seeing the bride before the wedding.

As the sun had risen on the day of the wedding, large trucks and vans had taken over the circular driveway of Castle's house in the Hamptons. The florists and decorators had all arrived very early to begin setting up the tables and chairs and embellishing them with crisp linens and fresh flowers. The caterers had taken over the kitchen and had been preparing the cuisine for the wedding feast. Early in the afternoon, the pastry chef had begun assembling and putting the final touches on the five-tiered wedding cake. Martha and Alexis had gotten up bright and early to supervise set-up of all the festivities; Kate was confident that they would make sure the wedding would be perfect.

A couple of hours before the ceremony, all four women had gone to their respective rooms to start getting dressed and be primped and pampered by the hair and makeup team that Kate had hired. And now Kate is alone at last, enjoying the reprieve of a moment by herself.

There's a knock at the door of Kate's suite. "People are starting to arrive," Lanie announces through the door. "Are you ready?"

"Almost," Kate replies. "Come in."

Lanie lets out an audible gasp as she enters the room. "Oh, Kate, you look like an angel."

"Really?" Kate replies, swishing the poufy skirt of her dress. "Thank you, Lanie."

"I _must_ say, your mother had _great_ taste," Lanie states.

"Yes, she _did_ ," Martha agrees, as she joins the ladies in the room. Kate turns around to face her soon-to-be mother-in-law who is elegantly dressed in turquoise and florals. Martha takes a deep breath. "Ah, look at you, Katherine. I believe you are the most beautiful bride that I have _ever_ seen."

Kate grins. "Thank you, Martha."

"Lanie, darling, could you just give us a minute?" Martha asks.

"Sure," Lanie replies and leaves the two of them alone.

"Martha, I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am to you and Alexis for all the work you've done to make this the perfect wedding," Kate says.

"And I want to thank _you_ for making my son so _very_ happy," Martha replies. "I brought you something." Martha hands Kate a scarlet velvet box. "In case you didn't have something _blue_."

Kate opens the hinged lid to reveal a stunning pair of sapphire earrings. "Oh, wow. They're beautiful." Martha smiles.

Kate walks across the room to the ornate mirror hanging above the fireplace. She places the box on the side table and removes one of the earrings.

"They were given to me by my mother to wear on _my_ wedding day," Martha explains, as Kate places the first earring on her ear. " And by _her_ mother before," she reveals. "Only women of substance have worn these gems," she continues, as she stands behind Kate to watch her put on the other earring. "They've been waiting, Katherine…for you."

Kate stares at her reflection, admiring the spectacular gems hanging from her earlobes, and observes Martha standing right behind her. Kate has always dreaded a wedding day without her own mother. She has wanted, more than anything, for her mother to be here to celebrate this day with her. But here she is with this marvelous woman, Castle's mother, who is making this day so very special for her. She knows how incredibly blessed she is to have her.

Kate turns toward Martha and gives her a warm hug. "I am so _honored_ , Martha. Thank you."

"Oh, darling, they look _exquisite_ on you."

Kate's phone rings. "Oh, excuse me," she says and walks across the room to pick up her phone off the table. "It's him!" She exclaims to Martha.

"Well, I will leave you to talk to your groom. I'll be outside," Martha says as she exits the room.

Kate smiles at the photo of her fiancé on her phone as she swipes the screen to answer the call. "Hey, _lover_ ," she greets. "How close are you?"

"Twenty minutes," he replies. "I have our marriage license in my pocket and I will be there soon." He pauses. "And Kate?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

She smiles. "I love you, too."

* * *

Kate holds her cell phone tightly in her hand and paces back and forth in the master suite. Martha, Lanie, Alexis, and even her father, Jim, have all congregated in the room with her.

"It's been an hour already," Lanie says as she glances out the window at all the wedding guests. "And the natives down there are getting restless."

"Where do you think he is?" Martha asks Kate.

"I don't know," she replies. "When I spoke to him last he said he was less than twenty minutes away." Kate dials Castle's number again and lifts the phone to her ear. She shakes her head. "Straight to voicemail," she tells everyone.

Kate's phone rings before she's even put it down and she quickly answers.

"Hello?"

She pauses to listen to the voice on the other end.

"Yes, this is she," she replies.

She listens intently as the message is relayed to her, unable to believe the words she is hearing. Kate hangs up the phone and fights back the tears that are forming as she turns to the group to deliver the news.

"There's been an accident."

 **To Be Continued**

* * *

 **A/N Thank you for reading. Reviews are appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to Jo, my awesome beta! You rock!**

* * *

 **For Better or for Worse**

 **Part Two**

* * *

After Kate hangs up the phone, there is a rush of panic. Everyone scrambles, trying to find out exactly what has happened to Castle. Used to leading, Kate's at a loss, and she smiles gratefully at Esposito when he decides that she and Jim will travel to the scene of the accident, while he and Ryan will put their karaoke skills to good use to keep the guests entertained. Martha and Alexis also stay behind and wait to hear an update on their son and father.

Jim takes Kate's hand as they sit together in the back seat of the chauffeured Rolls Royce. There has always been an unspoken bond of grief between them. They only have to travel a few miles, but it feels like it is taking forever to get there. She tries not to let her mind get too far ahead of the possibilities.

As they approach the scene, Kate can see the flashing lights from the emergency vehicles. The moment she jumps out of the car, she hears someone call her name.

"Detective Beckett!"

She immediately recognizes Chief Brady from the Hamptons Police Department. As he approaches her, Kate observes the long skid marks that lead off the road and over the embankment.

"What happened?" she asks him.

"It looks like Castle's car blew a tire," Chief Brady explains, as they all begin walking toward the scene. Kate is carefully holding up the skirt of her dress to prevent it from getting dirty as she tries to get a handle on what she is seeing and hearing. "When he over-corrected, he hit the guardrail." He points across the road. "And then ended up down in the ravine." They walk over to the edge of the road where Kate looks down and sees Castle's Mercedes sedan upside down in the ditch. "He was lucky he was his wearing his seat belt," Chief Brady remarks. "A passerby who witnessed the accident called 9-1-1."

"Where is he?" Kate asks.

"He's over in the ambulance," Brady informs her. "I'll take you to him."

Kate asks her father to go wait by the Rolls and then follows Chief Brady past the fire trucks and police cars toward the ambulance. When they reach the rescue vehicle, the back doors are open and she can see Castle inside being attended to by a paramedic.

The relief Kate feels when she finally sees him is overwhelming. She's trying to blink back the tears that are threatening to fall. Castle's lying on the stretcher and the paramedic is apparently suturing his head. She stares for a moment, waiting for him to say something before she realizes that he can't see her from the stretcher and he doesn't know she is there.

"Rick?" she says softly.

Castle startles and tries to sit up to see her, but the paramedic pushes him back down. "Mr. Castle, please lie down until I am finished."

"Sorry, Matt," he says to the medic.

"It's all right, Castle. I'm right here," she reassures him. Kate places her hand on his pant leg, right near his ankle, so that even though he can't see her, he can feel that she is there. But the reassurance is more for her, because she needs to feel his warmth and know he's alive and that she hasn't lost him.

"I'm so sorry, Kate," he apologizes.

"It was an accident, babe. I'm so glad you're okay."

"It's my dream coming true," he says matter-of-factly.

 _Seriously_? "It's not the dream," Kate assures him. She'd laugh if she didn't feel like crying. "What happened to your head?" she asks him.

"The airbag deployed," Castle replies. "And somehow I got a cut on my forehead. They wanted to take me to the hospital, but I asked Matt here if he would just quickly patch me up. I wanted to get to you as soon as possible."

"Castle, with a laceration on the face you really should have been seen by a plastic surgeon," she tells him.

"Kate, it's six _tiny_ stitches. And I'm not worried about a scar on my face. I think it'll be cool." She rolls her eyes. _Of course_ he thinks having a scar will be cool.

Paramedic Matt finishes the stitches and then covers up Castle's wound with Steri-strips. "Mr. Castle," he says. "You'll need to keep those stitches clean and dry. They'll need to be removed in about five days. You can sit up now, and if you don't feel lightheaded, then you are free to go." Matt looks over at Kate. "It looks like you and this lovely lady might have somewhere important to be."

Castle sits up, his eyes widening as he sees Kate in her wedding dress for the first time. Even though she's not superstitious, she had truly hoped that the first time he saw her in her mother's dress would have been when she was standing in the back of the aisle on her father's arm, not at the scene of an accident. But she loves what she sees in his eyes right now. It's a look of love. No, not just love, pure devotion. Adoration. He smiles at her and she smiles back. He looks as happy to see her as she feels to see him.

"How are you feeling, Mr. Castle?" Matt asks.

"Incredibly blessed," he replies, not taking his eyes off of his fiancée.

Matt smiles at Castle and then steps out of the ambulance. "He's all yours," he tells Kate.

Kate climbs into the ambulance with her fiancé and sits right across from him where Matt had been sitting. Castle looks down at his clothing. "I got a little blood on the tux."

Kate reaches over and finds a pre-moistened wipe in the medical supplies on the shelf. She removes it from the wrapper and begins cleaning the blood off of Castle's tuxedo. Memories of sitting together in the back of an ambulance when she had attended to his wounds another time come flooding back. She can no longer stop the tears that begin to fall.

"Don't cry, Kate," he tells her. "I'm going to be all right."

"I know," she replies, looking up into his eyes. "But I wanted this day to be _perfect_."

Castle reaches over and brushes the tear from her cheek with his thumb. "It _will_ be perfect." He slides his hand around the back of her neck and gently tugs her head toward his and gives her a soft kiss on the lips. "God, you look beautiful."

"Thank you." She smiles. "You don't look so bad yourself," she says, caressing his cheek. "Even with that bandage."

Kate finishes cleaning up the blood from Castle's clothing and places the wipe in the waste container.

"I thought it was bad luck to see the bride before the wedding," he says with a smirk.

"Yes, well, it's also _bad luck_ to _not show up_ to your wedding."

He smiles. " _Touché_." Castle stands, taking Kate by the hand, and climbs out of the ambulance before helping her out. "Let's go get married."

 **To Be Continued**

* * *

 **A/N Thank you so much for reading. I really appreciate the enthusiasm you've shown for this story. I'd love to know your thoughts.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Again thanks, to my wonderful beta, Jo.**

* * *

 **For Better or for Worse**

 **Part Three**

* * *

Rick and Kate, hands intertwined, ride comfortably in the back seat of the Rolls Royce to their house in the Hamptons, while Jim keeps company with the chauffeur in the front. When they pull into the driveway, Rick hops out of the car and goes around to the other side to open Kate's door, kissing his fiancée. She smiles at him, brushing a kiss against his cheek, before she hurries into the house to freshen up before the ceremony. Castle turns and sees Jim reaching out to shake his hand.

"Thank you, Rick," Kate's father says to him.

"For what?" Castle asks.

"For everything you done for Katie, for everything you've been for her. I really don't know where she'd be if you hadn't come into her life. She definitely wouldn't be this happy. I'm sure of it."

"Thank you," Castle replies. "But I feel the same way about Kate. I'm a better man because of her."

Jim smiles. "And thank you for standing by her all these years while she fought for justice for Johanna," he adds.

"It was my privilege to be by her side, Jim. I just wish her Mother could have been here to see how beautiful Kate looks in her wedding dress."

Jim takes a deep breath. "I do too, Rick. I do too." Castle's soon-to-be father-in-law takes him in a warm, quick embrace. "Well, I'd better go get your bride. You two have waited long enough."

Jim walks up the steps and inside the house just as Martha and Alexis are coming out.

"Dad!" Alexis exclaims, running down the steps to give him a huge hug. She looks up at him, brushing his hair aside to fully expose his injury. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, pumpkin," he replies and gives her a kiss on the top of her head. "Just a little bonk on the head."

"Richard, we were so worried about you," Martha says.

Castle releases his daughter and embraces his mother, who kisses him on the cheek, the warmth and affection from the two redheads in his life a gift he cherishes. "I know, Mother, and I'm sorry."

Castle keeps his arm around his mother and takes his daughter by the hand. The three of them walk around to the back of the house where two-hundred-ninety-seven wedding guests are patiently waiting for the ceremony to begin.

In the backyard, Castle observes the rows and rows of chairs that have been arranged to accommodate their wedding ceremony. Bouquets of pink and white roses, with accents of greenery, have been aesthetically arranged throughout the yard.

Earlier in the year, Castle had hired a contractor to design and construct a permanent gazebo, overlooking the ocean, as a place for him and Kate to deliver their vows. That structure is now complete and has been entirely decked-out with fragrant floral arbors, flowing white tulle, and a chandelier.

The ceremony was originally scheduled for five in the afternoon, but with the delay from Castle's accident, it was now beginning just as the sun sets. And what a glorious sunset it is: pinks, reds, yellows, and oranges create a breathtaking backdrop for their vows. It feels like the Universe has just given them a spectacular wedding gift.

"This is all so beautiful," he says to his mother and daughter. "Thank you," he tells them. "For everything."

"Oh, darling, I am so proud of you," his mother says, giving him another squeeze.

Castle escorts Martha and Alexis to their seats in the front row, before stepping up onto the gazebo and shaking the hand of his good friend and the officiator of the wedding, Mayor Robert Weldon.

"Thank you so much for taking the time to do this for us, Bob."

"My pleasure, Rick. I am so happy for you and Kate. I'm just glad you're okay."

Castle turns toward the audience to make a quick announcement. The majority of guests have already taken their seats. He looks over the crowd and sees so many wonderful friends who have come to support him and Kate: Javier Esposito, sitting in the second row, who is no doubt holding the place next to him for Lanie (who he is certain is at Kate's side); Kevin and Jenny Ryan, who are sitting right next to Espo, little Sarah Grace asleep in Ryan's arms; Captain Victoria Gates and her husband; the other officers from the precinct; Castle's literary friends. He feels an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everything and _everyone_ in his life that has brought him to this moment.

"Friends," he begins, smiling. "Kate and I are so happy that you have chosen to celebrate this special day with us. I truly apologize for the delay. Thank you so much for your patience. I think we're finally ready to begin."

The rest of the guests take their seats, and he notices Lanie slide into place next to Esposito. Castle quickly checks his pocket to make sure he still has Kate's ring. He smiles when his fingers come in contact with the warm metal band.

The audience rises and turns to face the back of the congregation where the bride is standing arm-in-arm with her father, ready to be escorted down the aisle, as the string quartet begins to play the wedding song.

Even though Castle has already seen her, the sight of Kate in Johanna's wedding dress still takes his breath away. Jim and Kate begin walking down the aisle toward him and Rick's eyes meet hers. She's smiling. No, not just smiling, she's _glowing_. He will remember this moment for the rest of his life. It doesn't matter how many people are here to witness this occasion, because right now it feels like they are the only two people in the Universe. He's pretty sure he's grinning like an idiot, but he doesn't care, because he knows he is the luckiest man on Earth. In just a few moments she will be his. Forever.

When Jim and Kate reach the front of the aisle, she kisses her father on the cheek before he takes his place in the front row. Then she hands her bouquet of pink and white roses to Alexis. Rick steps forward, takes her by the hand, and guides her up onto the platform to take her place across from him. They both smile at each other.

"Hi," she says to him.

"Hi," he replies back.

"Whenever you're ready," Mayor Weldon tells them.

"Yeah," Kate answers.

Jim steps forward and reaches up to give his daughter Rick's wedding band. Castle offers his hand to Kate as she takes the ring from her father and gently slides it onto his left hand before saying her vows.

"The moment that I met you," she begins, gazing into his eyes. "My life became extraordinary. You taught me to be my best self. To look forward to tomorrow's adventures. And when I was vulnerable, you were strong." She smiles. He can see the soft, unshed tears already forming in her eyes. "I love you, Richard Castle. And I want to live my life in the warmth of your smile and the strength of your embrace. I promise that I will love you, and be your friend, and your partner in crime, and in life. Always."

Castle removes Kate's wedding band from his pocket and glides it onto her finger where it nestles perfectly against her engagement ring.

"The moment we met," he begins his own vows, "my life became extraordinary. You taught me more about myself than I knew there was to learn. You are the joy in my heart. You're the last person I want to see when I close my eyes." He smiles. "I love you, Katherine Beckett. And the mystery of you is the one I want to spend the rest of my life exploring. I promise to love you, to be your friend, and your partner in crime, and in life. Till death do us part. And for the time of our lives."

She gives him a soft laugh.

"By the power vested in me by the state of New York," Mayor Weldon says. "I now pronounce you husband and wife."

Rick and Kate lunge toward each other, not needing the Mayor, or anyone else, to give them permission to kiss each other as husband and wife. He wraps his arms around her waist and she cradles his face in her hands. The kiss is gentle and tender and tastes like forever. They savor this sweet moment, kissing each other in a warm embrace. Castle has kissed Kate many times, but this is the first time he is kissing her as his _wife_.

As they break the kiss, their guests rise to their feet and applaud and cheer for the happy couple. Rick and Kate turn toward the audience and smile at all their friends. Castle has his arm wrapped around Kate's waist, but he tugs her closer still, and kisses her again on the cheek. This is the happiest day of his life.

The sun dipping below the horizon is turning the pastel pinks and yellows of the sunset into deep reds and dark purples, and daylight is quickly slipping away. The crickets have begun to sing their nightly melodies. It's fortunate they had prepared for the party to go well into the night. There are flickering lanterns hanging in the trees around the yard, and strands of glowing white lights have been strung above the dining area and over the dance floor to illuminate the festivities.

The guests make their way to the tables for the celebration. Rick, Kate, Martha, Alexis, Jim, and Lanie are all seated at the head table. The food has been kept warm and the caterers are ready to serve the wedding dinner. Champagne flutes have been filled with Dom Pérignon (and non-alcoholic for those, like Jim Beckett, who don't imbibe.) The guests give their attention to Alexis, who stands at the head table ready to give her toast.

"On behalf of Richard and Katherine," she begins. "I'd like to thank everyone for attending this beautiful wedding tonight. My name is Alexis Castle, and I am the Best Man."

The audience laughs.

"I have to tell you, once my dad met Kate, I knew it was all over for him. He was completely smitten." Alexis looks over at her father. "I knew my dad loved Kate even before he realized it, or was willing to admit it, even to himself. He walked around in a daze with a _goofy_ look on his face and seemed to spend _a lot_ of time on the phone. But that was because Kate had been calling him to crime scenes, or as I liked to call them… _dates_."

The crowd laughs again. Castle smiles. He couldn't be more proud of his daughter. She truly is the most adorable best man a groom could hope for.

"But seriously, I have never seen my dad so happy and content. They've had a very long, rough road to get to this day, and I wish them both the best of luck and a life together filled with health, happiness, and joy."

Alexis raises her glass and turns toward the happy couple, smiling. "Congratulations, Rick and Kate!"

The audience clinks their glasses and then takes a drink. Alexis gently taps her glass against her grandmother's champagne flute and then takes a sip of her non-alcoholic beverage. Rick and Kate's glasses meet with a soft clink and they also partake of the bubbly, sealing the toast with a kiss.

Alexis makes another announcement. "And now we will hear from Kate's father, Jim Beckett."

As Castle's daughter takes her seat, Kate's father stands up. He looks out over the sea of guests and then focuses his gaze on his daughter and her new husband. It's obvious that he is choked up and it takes him a few minutes to compose himself before he can speak.

"As I look at my daughter, Katie," he begins, voice breaking. "I can't help but reflect on all the years I was lucky enough to watch her grow and become the beautiful woman she is today." Rick reaches over and takes his wife's hand as Jim continues his speech. Kate smiles at her husband.

"She captured my heart on the day she was born, and I became more and more in awe of her as the years passed by. She's my little girl, my princess, and my ray of sunlight. And no matter what her age, she'll always be those things to me."

Jim pauses for a moment.

"But today, as I watch her marry a wonderful man, I'm filled with pride, and am confident that she and Rick are about to embark on a wonderful journey, filled with the love and happiness that can only come as husband and wife. May the two of you always treat each other with love, compassion, and kindness."

Jim raises his glass and the guests lift theirs again as well.

"I ask you to join me to today in congratulating the bride and groom and wishing them all the best for a long and happy life together."

Everyone takes another drink.

After his speech, Jim sets down his glass on the table and comes over to give Kate a kiss. Rick hears him whisper in her ear. "I love you, Katie." Jim turns and shakes Rick's hand. "Congratulations, son," he tells Rick with a gentle pat to his back and then returns to his seat.

Castle takes his handkerchief out of his pants pocket and hands it to his wife. "That was beautiful," he whispers to her.

"Yeah," she agrees, blotting the tears from her eyes.

The celebration continues. The caterers bring out the food and the wedding guests enjoy the smorgasbord. Before the dancing begins, Ryan and Esposito sing and dance their musical tribute to Castle and Beckett, which is so _hilarious_ , it brings the audience to tears.

Throughout the evening, the DJ plays various genres of music including Frank Sinatra's _Witchcraft_ and Bruce Springsteen's _Dancing in the Dark_. But it's when Andrew Belle's _In My Veins_ begins to play that Castle makes his move. He turns to his wife.

"Mrs. Castle, may I have this dance?"

Kate smiles and takes his hand and they make their way to the dance floor. The guests clear the area so the newlyweds can have it all to themselves. Kate grins as she wraps her arms around her husband's neck and they begin swaying to the music.

 _Oh, you're in my veins_

 _And I cannot get you out_

 _Oh, you're all I taste_

 _At night inside of my mouth_

Castle loves feeling the warmth of _his wife_ in his arms; she nestles perfectly in his embrace. They dance quietly for a few minutes, just enjoying the music and this moment together. Kate presses her cheek against his and whispers in his ear. "This is perfect."

Rick smiles and kisses her. "I love you, Mrs. Castle."

Kate smiles back. "I love you, too, Mr. Castle."

 **To Be Continued**

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 **A/N We're just about there. One more chapter to go. Thank you for reading, following, favoriting, and reviewing. Your reviews make me smile.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks for reading!**

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 **For Better or for Worse**

 **Part Four**

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If a honeymoon is meant to be a celebration of love in an intimate, secluded, and most importantly, beautiful setting, then Rick and Kate Castle have chosen the perfect location: three weeks in the Maldives on their own private island.

After the wedding festivities had wound down, Kate and Rick had allowed their family and close friends to stay over in their Hampton's estate. The newlyweds had traveled into town, by way of the chauffeured Rolls Royce, and had spent their first night together as husband and wife at a charming bed and breakfast, before departing the next afternoon for their dream honeymoon.

The first night they'd arrived in the Maldives, they'd been treated to a dinner under the stars by candlelight. Over the course of the next three weeks they'd partaken in many of the activities available to them on the island: taking walks on the beaches, enjoying the colors of the setting sun, and indulging in some lighthearted competition to see who could catch the most fish. Of course Kate had been the winner; she'd been fishing at her father's cabin since she was three years old. But Castle had definitely won the title of _best preparer of the catch-of-the-day_ , since he had done all of the cooking.

They had waited to snorkel and scuba dive among the beautiful, vibrant reefs until Castle's stitches had been removed by a local doctor. But they'd found plenty of indoor activities to keep them busy in the meantime: lazing around in their private bungalow, watching the endless turquoise waters, enjoying spa treatments and massages, and of course, making love.

Last night, after Rick had fallen asleep, Kate had remained awake, just staring at her handsome husband. She'd swept Castle's hair aside and carefully brushed her fingers over the wound on his forehead. That tiny scar was a reminder that this all could have ended before it had even begun. She had been so very grateful that his injuries hadn't been any more severe. She was looking forward to their life together, their future; to the babies they would raise together. She could imagine him telling their children a wonderful, elaborate tale of how he had come to acquire that scar, and she had no doubt that he'd throw in a _Harry Potter_ reference.

And now it's their last morning on the island. They will fly home this evening; back to New York, to their jobs, to their family, to reality. Kate wants, more than anything, to remember this day, this moment, and this love, for the rest of her life. She's gazing at her husband, who is still sleeping peacefully. He has a beautiful smile on his face. She gently runs her fingers through his rumpled hair, which causes him to stir and open his eyes.

"Good morning," Castle says groggily.

"Good morning, my love," Kate replies.

"Were you staring at me again?" he asks.

"Again?" She smiles. He knows her so well. "Yes," she confesses. "You were smiling in your sleep."

"I was?" She studies him and it looks like he's remembering something. Then he starts smiling again. "I just had the best dream _ever_ ," he reveals.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"I do." Rick turns toward her, still smiling, and caresses her face. "I dreamt you were pregnant."

"Babe," Kate kisses him and smiles back. "I took a test first thing this morning. That wasn't a dream."

 **THE END (of my fantasy season six finale)**

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 **A/N** **This story was inspired by a tweet from CastleAddict that I saw right after Sleeper aired. The tweet said:** _ **Finale: Rick wakes. WOW what a dream! Goes2courthouse to meet Kate & GETS marriage license #goestoHamptons #dreamweddingep #premierinMaldives**_

 **This fic took on a life of its own (like they tend to do). I was originally planning to make it a short one-shot and end it after the first scene. But once I continued, it was so much fun to write all the things we didn't get to see: Alexis's wedding toast, actual dialogue from Jim, a wedding in MAY without a ridiculous delay, Kate saying her vows wearing her mother's wedding dress, and a honeymoon in the Maldives. It was also very satisfying to eliminate all the** _ **reasons**_ **for the wedding delay with a simple bad dream. Bye-bye, Rogan O'Leary, welcome back,** _ **one and done**_ **.**

 **Recipe for this story: Take 3/4 of 6.23. Add 1/2 of 7.20. Mix in 1/4 of 7.06 and a dash of 7.01. Combine thoroughly and hopefully the result is a happy ending.**

 **Thanks for reading. I had a blast writing this. And thank you to my wonderful beta, Jo.**

 **Reviews are like Castle episodes, there can never be enough of them.**


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